Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-09-17

WHAT HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
CAN COMMAND.
Conclusion Of the Paper Begun Last
Week, Headed "Onc Fetish less"
Average Labor aud intel.
ligcnce the Econ.
0mist's Gauge.
BY DR.. A. DOUAT.

1t was the purpose of Karl Marx
to show in his great work that hu-
man labor can emanclpate itself
from the so-callcd iron law Of nature
which renders some produce alter
natcly scarce or abundant ut differ
cnt times, or locally scarce or abund-
ant according to different favor of
the elements. Let us see how he
manages to do that:
Starting, with Adam Smith, from
the axiom that human labor, and it
alone, imparts value to wares, he
first shows that it is labor, not of
Indifferent quality, but of arvrage
productivity only (Which is fixed
quantity in any given time and
place, according to the perfection of
the means of labor) which measures
value Of exchange of all such wares
rs can be increased at pleasure. And
such average quality of labor can be
measured in value by time spent in
the production of wares.
This ingenious Strictness in detini-
tion enables him to obviato all pos
sible objections. If, for instance, it
is objected that high degree of in
telligence is, 3 rule, better rewarded
for each hoar spent in production,
than q lower one-he answers: Aye,
such exceptionally intelligent or
qualifed labor is exceptionally pro-
ductive, and therefore it is rewarded
at q double. treble or manifoldly
average wages. But if the intelli-
gence in the mode Of production be-
comes general, its reward is no long
er exccptional; it is rewarded by
average wages only. The rate Of
wages, at any given period of deyel-
opment OF industry, IS by silent con-
sent of society different for different
degrees Of quality, not the best, and
not the worst kind Of workers, but
the average kind of work measures
the quantity and quality and value
of ware and wages.
When the objection is raised that
the invention of new machines de-
creases the value Of labor employed
in work at the machines, while it
greatly enhances the profits of the
employers, Marx answers: Aye, so
it does. But the profits of employ
ers cease to be exceptional when the
same machines are introduced every
where. And the labor would be
rewarded in proportion, as the new
machines are more apt to increase
production, if the workmen oWned
the machines and worked them on
their own account.
When it is objected that a fertile
soil yields with a given amount Of
labor more produce than a sterile
one, the labor being in both cases Of
equal average quality, and yet labor
is in the former case much better
rewarded than IN the latter-aye,
says our author. But it is not the
fault Of men if they devote sterile
soil to purposes which will never
pay average wages? 1t certainly is
not the fault of nature. And when
a soil of average quality treated with
average quality and quantity of la
Dor rewards the latter i'll one year
with more produce than in another
year-why, these are exceptional
cases. In Il long number of success
siye years the same soil titled with
average labor will yield an average
of produce. The reward of labor
can, therefore, be on an average
equal, if men reserve their produce
till average prices can be obtained,
or prefer to console themselves for
their losses with their profits in bet
ter years.
When it is objected that wages
will be low for the same average
kind of labor, when the supply OF
wages laborers is large-aye, says